March 21, 2013 12:03pm EDTMarch 20, 2013 11:14pm EDTDespite a SN report of a growing disconnect between players and coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the U.S. men's team says they are behind their coach and are focused on Friday's World Cup qualifying match, writes Brian Straus.

Speaking to reporters following the national team’s practice at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where the U.S. will host Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier on Friday evening, Bradley said he read the story and was upset that teammates would speak anonymously to a reporter.

Watch This

“I think for every guy who has ever played on a team, you give everything you have,” Bradley said. “You put everything of yourself inside and in any team in the world, not every guy is going to be happy. In every team in the world there’s going to be guys who go back to their room and talk with their roommate about things that they wish were different -- about things that they wish could be done in a different way. That’s normal. If that wasn’t going on then something wouldn’t be right.”

He continued, “But you cross the line when you take those thoughts and you take your disappointments outside of the team, outside of the inner circle. So for me, it doesn’t help anybody. It doesn’t help anything that we’re trying to do this week. When you play in a team you have a chance every day to give everything you have and part of that means having the balls to say things to guys to their face and having the balls to say things in front of the team and I think in those ways it’s really disappointing that now in a week as important as this, in a week where so much is on the line, that you’d have something like that happen.”

Bradley went on to say that the attention surrounding the report wouldn’t affect the U.S. against Costa Rica.

“Unfortunately this stuff happens,” he said. “The challenge of every guy in our team right now is to step on the field on Friday night and to make sure that for every American watching there is no sign of anything that’s gone wrong this week. It’s our job to represent ourselves and represent our country in a way that makes everybody proud. And so I think we let ourselves down a little bit in that way, but like I said the best part about sports is that when you step on the field, you have a chance to put everything right. And so our chance is on Friday night.”

Stoke City defender Geoff Cameron, who has risen to national team prominence under Klinsmann, told reporters on Wednesday that “all of us support Jurgen. He’s brought a lot of things to this team and he’s helped me get to where I am today, helped me raise my game to the next level.”

Cameron has started seven of the past eight games under Klinsmann and has cemented his place as one of the country’s top defenders over the past year. He left the Houston Dynamo over the summer.

“I think everybody respects (Klinsmann) as a coach and as a player. The guy has done it all. You can’t disrespect him in that way,” Cameron said Wednesday, according to ESPN.

“We know what was said and whatnot. I don’t think necessarily none of those things are true. I think everybody is pretty positive with one another and pretty supportive of Jurgen. For me, it’s an honor to be here and an honor to be coached by him. I think everybody feels the same way.”

Elsewhere, two veterans who are missing the upcoming qualifiers offered Klinsmann their support from afar.

Defender Carlos Bocanegra, who was not called in for the upcoming matches and whose benching was mentioned prominently in the Sporting News piece, wrote on his Facebook page, “During the last 18 months Jurgen has introduced a lot of new ideas to the team and has a vision of how he wants to grow the program. Every coach around the world has his own style and methods. He has always been up front with players about where they stand and where he sees them going. Not every player is going to be happy with all of the decisions and methods, but he will tell you to your face where you stand. From a coach, that is the best thing you could ask for. One of the greatest strengths of this team has always been our unity and spirit, and we all remain committed to the cause of qualifying for the World Cup.”

Goalkeeper Tim Howard, who’s out with broken ribs, stressed to Soccer By Ives that the team remains unified despite reports of issues between the U.S.- and German-born players.

“Our team has always been made up of players who come from different backgrounds, which has been a source of strength for the group. No matter where players are from, the pride in wearing the U.S. shirt is the only thing that matter to us,” Howard said. “We have a great group of guys who are all committed to the cause, and the morale and the camaraderie remains high. We are completely unified in our ultimate goal, which is to qualify for the World Cup.”

At least one player on Wednesday understood that the story had a purpose, even if he didn’t agree with it. Speaking following training at DSGP, Herculez Gomez told reporters, “I love it (the media scrutiny). It’s about damn time you guys took some interest and started asking tough questions. That’s how you become a strong footballing nation. I think if Brian doesn’t write that story, if he kind of looks the other way -- I’m not saying he was right in doing it, but he’s got to do it. It’s his job. He’s going to burn some bridges along the way but this country needs that kind of exposure. This country needs football to matter. I think it’s great.”

Meanwhile Clint Dempsey, who was named captain for the upcoming qualifiers, said Wednesday that he didn’t read the story but that it was something that was discussed “as a team.”

Dempsey said it “doesn’t matter really. The thing that matters is getting three points, winning the game and qualifying for the World Cup. That’s the thing that matters the most. It doesn’t matter about the little petty things here and there. We’re focused.”